The Washington critic., 1887-12-22
THE pAcrr,c RAILWAYS.
An Alleged synopsis Of tho Commits
sion's Report.

NEW YoRK, Dec. 22.-The Tribune this
morning publishes the following special;
"WAsnINGroE, D. c., Dec 81. - Tho
reports Of the Pacific Railways Commits
sioners were not sent to Congress to-day
(2lsD as anticipated, but will be to-mor-
row. They will be accompanied by a
message from the President in which
he straddles the questions at issue and
throws upon Congress the responsibility
of deciding which of the two reports
shall influence legislation. The report
of Mr.. Pattison is II sweeping docu-
ment and recommends that the entire
system OF land grant roads be thrown
into the hands of receiver at once.
He can sec no other solution. He says
that all the roads are bankrupt, few of
them paying expenses; all have been
robbed of the money Congress devoted
to their aid and that the only course re-
naming Is to have the Acknowledgement
directed to institute at once proceedings
in the United States courts on behalf Of
the Government to take charge of the
properties. The report Of Mr.. Pattison
is said to be severe on the management
of all the Pacific railroads, particularly
the Central Pacific.
THE report of the majority, signed
by Commissioners Anderson and Littler,
is II voluminous document, covering the
history of the Pacific Railway enter
prises from their inception to the present
day. But the most important part Of
the document is of course the recon-
/ mendations for future action on the part
Of Congress and the Government. With
reference to the Union Pacific the Com
mssioners are disposed to be liberal.
They say that the road has passed ont Of
the control and ownership of those "a
whom the subsidies were granted, and
those who were responsible for the enOr'
nous Indebtedness of the corporation tc
the Government. The property, they
say. is now in the hands of men who
seem to be running il in the interest o
the stockholders, the bondholders and
the Government, and us long us they
pursue the course they have adopted
should receive the encouragement of the
Government. Within few years the
development of the Western country has
been SO rapid that the roads under the
Union Pacific management cannot but
become very valuable properties, and
the Indebtedness to the Government
will undoubtedly be paid in full without
embarrassment to the corporation or its
stockholders. The Commissioners there
fore recommend the passage of some
thing like the Outhwaite or Hoar bill,
such us was reported from the Commit
tee of the judiciary in the Senate last
year, and from the Committee on Pacific
Railroads in the House. They recon-
mend that the entire Indebtedness OF
the Union Pacific Company to the Gov
ernment be6unded in two per cent.
bonds, to be divided into 100 Install
ments and each installment paid semi
annually.
The Commission does not deal so gem
erously with the Central Pacific system.
The managers of the road are charged
with having injured it by erecting COM
pcting lines, to which they have di-
verted traffic. Instead of using the reve-
uues of this road economically, they are
accused Of having diverted them to
other purposes, OF having invested them
in other roads in Texas. Mexico, Oregon,
and other States and Territories and tc
have even gone into the Republic Of
Guatemala to build railroad there.